The Quickest Year Ever

Today we celebrate the birthday of the little man so many of us prayed into existence.

Foster Isaac Beard is one.

ONE.

He has been in our lives for an entire year. It was seriously the quickest year ever.

This is the first moment I laid eyes on my boy.

This is the first time he was in my arms. 

less than an hour old 

I think about this little dude and how he has so totally changed our lives and I am a wreck. Yesterday morning, I woke up and felt so emotional (sure, it could be the fact that I haven't been sleeping too much and I am 6 months pregnant, but it was a sweet emotional). I opened up my computer to begin this blog and decided that I would look through photos from this week and then from the birth of my dear boy. As I was looking through the photos from the birth, I sat on the couch and wept. WEPT. The most GRATEFUL TEARS of JOY and THANKSGIVING I had to offer to my amazing Lord who would bless us with the gift of not just one child, but two. Dear God, You are GOOD.
I was thinking about all the people who prayed for us and with us as we journeyed through the process of thinking we would never have a biological child and was humbled. There were so many words of love and affirmation as we announced our pregnancy. We were showered and celebrated beyond belief. I have not enough words to thank those people.

And then I began thinking about all the people who have walked with us and Fos this last year. Reminiscing about meals brought to our house, all the people who have baby sat (which we have never had to pay for - Thank you to all of you who have wanted to spend time with our kid. Your time with him and love of him is incredibly humbling and appreciated beyond comprehension), all the helping hands, all of the grandparent trips to help, all the love poured out onto our son...and again, I wept. It does take a village and Andrew and I have an AMAZING village.

Thank you friends for joining us today to say Happy Birthday to our totally rad kid.

So, today we celebrate this little man.

Foster,
You, my dear, will never ever know the joy and love that you have brought into our family. I never knew that parents cheered so much for their kids until I actually jumped up and down the first time you held your head up for more than one second. I will never stop cheering for you. I watched you take your first steps this week. I screamed and clapped and squeezed the heck out of you (which you totally love and can't get enough of, incase you were wondering). We have watched you experience each new thing and try to be in the moment with you...experiencing with you, it is so fun to watch. You are just cool. You sit with your arm back or your foot up, chillin - no matter where you are (at the kitchen table, in your high chair, in your stroller, in a grocery cart). You only do things we need you to do when you realize their purpose. For example, you would never wear a hat or sunglasses until you sat in the sun without them for a minute, then put them on...now we have no problem getting you to wear them. You jump like a maniac. You drum on everything. Once you started putting everything in your mouth, the first thing you picked up that didn't go straight into your mouth was a set of drum sticks. You dance and dance, in our arms on the ground, it doesn't matter, if there is a beat, you are bouncing! You sing with us. You giggle like crazy and love to be tickled. You want to walk everywhere and climb on everything (even though you have only taken a few steps). You love dogs (now...you didn't at first) but they are all scared of you - you chase them. You are sad when other babies cry. You are funny. You mimic everything we do and that keeps us on our toes.
You hate sleeping at night, unless it is with me and your dad. You love every food we have given you - except lima beans (true story). You have a large head...like greater than the 98th percentile, but its all good, cause you have the cutest face. You have 6 teeth and curly blonde locks. You have the clearest blue eyes that everyone comments on EVERYWHERE we go.
You are precious. You are precious. We love you so much.

When I hold you while you sleep, I whisper into your ear about how much I love you and how much your daddy loves you and how much our Great God Loves You. We pray that you will know that God is Good. We pray that you know that following Him is worth anything you think you may be giving up.  We pray that you know that His plans for you are so much greater than the ones we make for ourselves. I pray that you are selfless, compassionate, kind, and a humble leader. I pray that you are an encouragement to those around you (like your daddy). I pray that you Love greatly. I pray that whatever you do, you find a way to glorify the Lord through it.

People say to us (probably at least once a week) something along the lines of "Don't blink, before you know it he will be 17 and won't be talking to you." Foster, we pray against that. We pray to cherish every moment with you and that you continue to love us and that you know that we love you and are always here for you, we understand, and we have walked through this life ahead of you. No matter what, we love you. we just really freaking love you.
Happy First Birthday Little Dude.

Love, Momma and Dadda